The document provides information about applying to US colleges, including: 1) It discusses key components of the US college application process such as transcripts, recommendations, interviews, essays, and standardized test scores. 2) It advises students on how to choose the right schools by considering factors like difficulty, career placement support, campus culture, majors offered, and location. 3) It outlines important application deadlines and timelines for students to follow when preparing their materials, including drafts of personal statements and recommendation requests.

1. is
Applying to US Colleges
AKAD Education Group

2. Agenda
• Speaker Introduction
• American Colleges
• Finding the right school
• How to be accepted
• Essay writing tips
• Timelines
• Q&A Session

3. Speakers’ Bio- Alex Grove
Education Background
• Wharton MBA (Dean’s List)
• UPenn MA, Lauder Institute (Conti Group Scholarship)
• Harvard MA
• Harvard BA (John Harvard Scholarship, Magna cum Laude)
Work Experience
• Partner – AKAD Education Group
• Associate – Morgan Stanley Special Situations Group
(Hong Kong)
• Senior Consultant – Monitor Group (Beijing)

4. Speakers’ Bio-Darryl Martin
Education Background
• University of Wisconsin Law School Juris Doctor (JD)
• Cambridge University MA Law
• Cambridge University BA Law (Honours)
• University of Notre Dame BA Economics and East Asian
Studies-Chinese (Magna cum Laude)
Work Experience
• Partner – AKAD Education Group
• Associate – McDermott Will & Emery Law Firm (Chicago,
Shanghai)

5. Agenda
• Speaker Introduction
• American Colleges
• Finding the right school
• How to be accepted
• Essay writing tips
• Timelines
• Q&A Session

6. World leading academic environment
There are more Nobel
Prize winners from
American colleges than
anywhere else in the
world

7. Flexible culture
• Focus of education is on
learning life skills, not
learning facts
• Students are encouraged to
actively make their own
decisions
• Students have a lot of
choices
• Majors are easy to change

8. Exciting campus life
Activities include:
• Sports
• Conferences
• Theater
• Non-profits
• Socializing
• Etc.

9. Agenda
• Speaker Introduction
• American Colleges
• Finding the right school
• How to be accepted
• Essay writing tips
• Timelines
• Q&A Session

10. America has
accredited universities and
colleges

11. How to choose schools
Difficulty
Career Placement Foreign Resources
Campus Culture Brand Name
Majors Location

12. Agenda
• Speaker Introduction
• American Colleges
• Finding the right school
• How to be accepted
• Essay writing tips
• Timelines
• Q&A Session

13. Components of an application
Interview
It is important to plan in
Recommendations advance
Personal statements
Application forms
Transcripts
SAT and other exams

14. How schools make decisions (Process)
• Good scores (GPA, SSR, TOEFL, SAT)
Grades and Scores
• Good written application
App. Story
• Good written application
Interview

15. How schools make decisions (Concepts)
ou r
eally
like Are you
smart?
Do y (Grade
ool? nts) s, test
ou r sch teme
scores
)
sta
s onal
(Per
Competence
Commitment Culture
py
hap
)
ents
Will you
contribu eel ona
l sta
tem
to the sc
hool? (P te
ersonal Will
you f
hoo
l? (P
ers
stateme
nts) ur sc
at o

16. Understanding the Admissions Committee
Adcom members read
hundreds and hundreds
of applications
– Overwhelmed
– Impatient
– Bored

17. Agenda
• Speaker Introduction
• American Colleges
• Finding the right school
• How to be accepted
• Essay writing tips
• Timelines
• Q&A Session

18. You should write about whatever you care about
•Admissions officers
are bored
•They want an
interesting essay that
reveals your true self
•Anything you care
deeply about is a good
topic…

19. But there are some topics you should avoid
• Gender
• Culture
• Race
• Sexuality
• Politics
• Etc…

20. Agenda
• Speaker Introduction
• American Colleges
• Finding the right school
• How to be accepted
• Essay writing tips
• Timelines
• Q&A Session

21. When to Apply?
Application Deadline
Earlier Later
No
Early action Rolling Regular
Commitment
Single
Early action
Early decision
Yes

22. Application timeline
May July
SAT 1 SAT 2
School List
Essay Topics
June August
PS Draft PS Draft 2
Recommendations
October-November
Reg Application Due
September December
Early Decision Due SAT 2 (retake)
Finalize school list

23. Q&A